Job Description

Get AI-powered advice on this job and more exclusive features.

This range is provided by Capua. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$160,000.00/yr - $200,000.00/yr

Autonomous Heavy Equipment Start-Up | Founding Robotics Engineer | San Francisco | On-Site | $160-200K

About the Company:

Our client is an early-stage, well-funded robotics start-up on a mission to revolutionise the heavy construction sector through autonomy. Founded by experienced entrepreneurs and backed by leading investors, they retrofit large-scale civil and industrial machinery with intelligent control systems to enable fully autonomous operation.

What They Build:

Their platform integrates advanced perception (LiDAR, stereo vision, RTK GNSS, IMU) with tele-operation capabilities and CAN network integration. They work closely with major industry partners to pilot their systems in real-world, high-impact environments. As their first engineering hire, youll see your work deployed to operational sites in months.

The Challenge:

Youll tackle autonomy in unstructured outdoor environments: deformable terrain, variable traction, GNSS dropouts, multi-robot coordination, and the unpredictable conditions of active worksites. This is applied robotics at its most dynamic, with the opportunity to design and own systems end-to-end.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and extend robotics middleware components for low-latency tele-operation.
• Reverse-engineer undocumented CAN signals from heavy machinery.
• Contribute to both software and hardware system design.
• Participate in weekly field tests; iterate hardware and software rapidly based on results.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Strong C++ and Python programming skills; proven experience with robotics middleware (e.g., ROS 2 or similar).
• Hands-on experience integrating sensors such as LiDAR, cameras, IMU, and RTK GNSS.

Preferred Qualifications

• CAN bus protocol expertise and reverse-engineering experience.
• Background in electrical or mechanical engineering.
• Competitive salary in the $160-200K range (with scheduled review at 6 months or next funding).
• 2 3% equity in the company.
• Full health, dental, and vision coverage.
• $5K equipment and workstation budget.
• Relocation assistance and daily provided lunch.

Why Join Now:

• First hire : Help shape architecture, culture, and core technology from the ground up.
• High impact : Your work will define the reference stack for an emerging industry.
• Fast cycle time : Deploy updates to live hardware weekly, not quarterly.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Engineering and Information Technology

• Industries

  Civil Engineering and Automation Machinery Manufacturing

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Capua by 2x

Inferred from the description for this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Get notified about new Robotics Engineer jobs in San Francisco, CA .

San Francisco, CA $120,000.00-$165,000.00 3 days ago

San Francisco, CA $110,000.00-$150,000.00 1 month ago

San Francisco, CA $140,000.00-$200,000.00 2 weeks ago

San Francisco, CA $100,000.00-$300,000.00 6 days ago

San Leandro, CA $75,000.00-$175,000.00 1 month ago

Electrical Engineer - Autonomy & Robotics

Mechatronics Engineer - Precision Systems

South San Francisco, CA $160,000.00-$220,000.00 5 months ago

Oakland, CA $175,000.00-$250,000.00 1 day ago

San Francisco, CA $140,000.00-$270,000.00 8 months ago

San Francisco, CA $150,000.00-$200,000.00 1 month ago

San Francisco, CA $117,000.00-$180,000.00 3 months ago

San Francisco, CA $100,000.00-$300,000.00 2 months ago

San Francisco, CA $220,000.00-$280,000.00 1 year ago

Automotive Thermal and HVAC Control Engineer

San Francisco, CA $125,000.00-$190,000.00 18 hours ago

Software Engineer - Robotics / Simulation

Oakland, CA $100,000.00-$135,000.00 1 month ago

San Francisco, CA $180,000.00-$215,000.00 1 month ago

Electrical Engineer - Vehicle Integration

South San Francisco, CA $110,000.00-$145,000.00 2 months ago

Staff / Principal Mechanical Engineer, Instruments and Composites

Were unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.

Job Tags

Similar Jobs